Celine’s chicken curry (article that first appeared on iDiva.com)

My grandmother Celine D’Souza was quite a feisty woman. She raised eight children, along with grandfather who was with the Indian navy (Lt Cdr Mark D’Souza, VSM, Indian Navy), and was practically a single mother when my grandfather was serving the country. A disciplinarian matching my grandfather’s standards, she single-handedly managed housework, paddy fields, cooked for her children, looked after cattle and poultry, took care of her aging mother-in-law and was a pillar of strength for her husband.

came to know her a little bit more after she passed away – about her resilience, the love she showered on all her children and us grandchildren, the delicious food she cooked and the values she stood for.

The chicken curry I am writing about, reminds me of the several times my grandmother and I have sat across the dining table in my mother’s home in Mulki, Mangalore, and shared a laugh over sumptuous food she prepared, and the times she advised me about life and love.

Celine D’Souza died at a ripe old age of 81, and this recipe is named after her because she conjured it up herself and has been passed to me by her daughter and my mother.